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Iranian woman nabbed by FBI for trafficking 70 million in bombs and drones was vetted by team Obama

April 20, 2026 | | Print Article

An Iranian national living stateside courtesy of an open border administration was nabbed at LAX Saturday over her alleged arms trafficking on behalf of Iran to the tune of millions.

The disconnect between the administrative bureaucrats and the policies they promote painted quite a dichotomy this weekend when the FBI busted a woman with lawful residence in the United States attempting to flee to Turkey.

After former President Barack Obama rubbed elbows with Islamist-friendly New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D), Iranian national Shamim Mafi — whose status was obtained during his tenure — was arrested at LAX for allegedly brokering deals for drones, bombs, and ammunition with Sudan on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Sharing images of Mafi, stacks of cash, and a drone, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli posted to X on Sunday, “Last night, Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport for trafficking arms on behalf of the government of Iran. She is charged with a violation of 50 U.S.C. § 1705 for brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of rounds of ammunition manufactured by Iran and sold to Sudan.”

“If convicted, she faces a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison,” continued Essayli. “Mafi is an Iranian national who became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in 2016. She is expected to make her initial appearance on Monday afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown L.A. She is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.”

Providing greater context to the story, Fox News correspondent Max Gordon told fellow correspondent Kevin Corke, “Mafi was allegedly coordinating with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to the federal government, one of the contracts was worth €60 million, brokering the sale of Iranian-made drones between Iran’s defense ministry and Sudan.”

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“In another instance, Mafi is accused of selling 55,000 bomb fuses to the Sudanese military,” detailed Gordon.

The criminal complaint detailed Mafi’s claim to be able to provide the FBI “extensive information about the Iranian financial system and money laundering channels used by the Government of Iran,” as she was charged with Conspiracy to Violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Her arrest comes amid ongoing concerns about foreign agents and sleeper cells in the United States, particularly as Operation Epic Fury has carried on for nearly two months. Within a matter of days, four alleged terrorist attacks were perpetrated or attempted on American soil in Michigan, New York, Texas, and Virginia.

Of course, while former President Joe Biden and his border czar, former Vice President Kamala Harris, have shouldered much of the blame for the open border crisis exacerbated under their watch, those policies remain the standard for the Democratic Party — as was the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, otherwise known as the Iran nuclear deal, that was originally adopted by Obama.

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The “hope and change” politician was once again in the spotlight recently, both for promoting redistricting in Virginia and for aligning himself with socialist Mayor Mamdani, widely considered to be sympathetic to Islamists.

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Kevin Haggerty
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